National Gay News

Beloved Castro San Francisco Diva, Actress and comedienne Mo'Nique is no stranger to achievement awards. For her riveting portrayal of Mary Jones in 2009's Precious, she won not only an Oscar, but a BAFTA, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and prestigious critic prizes at festivals from San Francisco to Stockholm. She's also best-selling author, prolific stand-up comedy hostess, and thanks to her self-titled BET talk show, her Oxygen special Mo'Nique's F.A.T. Chance, and a five-year stint on UPN's The Parkers, she has more NAACP Image Awards than she can hold. Her accomplishments speak for themselves but it is her unrelenting support of all of us in the Castro District that makes her so beloved.

Unfortunately, Castro San Francisco residents have little to no control over who gets elected/appointed on the U.S. Olympic Committee. The U.S. Olympic Committee has named gold medalist and outspoken marriage equality opponent Peter Vidmar as its chief of mission for the 2012 U.S. Olympic team. Castro San Francisco is not worried over this however, we have to wonder if this will have any negative impacts for the LGBTQ community. In 2008, Vidmar, a Mormon, donated $2,000 to help pass California’s Proposition 8 and publicly protested, telling the Orange County Register, "It's good for our society to stay with a traditional definition of marriage."Vidmar, who won two gold medals and one silver in the 1984 Olympics, will act as the U.S. liaison between organizers in London and the International Olympic Committee. All of us at My Castro San Francisco would like tradition and equality to be included in this definition.

Here is an interesting story regarding DADT. A lesbian cadet who resigned from West Point last year in protest over "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," was denied for re-admission on Wednesday because of her sexual orientation.

Officials at the U.S. Military Academy said they had no choice but to reject Katherine Miller's application, because the repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy prohibiting gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military is not yet in effect. Castro San Francisco residents shake their heads at this remark.

"While the don't ask, don't tell policy was recently changed and will be repealed, the effective date has not yet been determined.

Last week My Castro San Francisco highlighted a disturbing hate fueled assault. On Monday, hundreds of people rallied in front of the McDonald’s restaurant in Maryland where a transgender woman was viciously beaten by two teenage girls. The victim, 23-year-old Chrissy Polis did not attend the rally but members of her family showed up in support, including her mother, Renee Carr. “The turnout tonight is wonderful, I’m so happy,” Carr said. “I didn’t think that McDonald’s was a dangerous place, all she wanted to do was eat and use the bathroom.”Last week Polis was attacked outside of the restroom in the restaurant. Many Castro local who were able to witness the video were outraged as McDonalds workers stood by and watched the assault take place.

A worker recorded the beating which shows Polis trying to defend herself. The video was posted online and quickly went viral. A female customer, 55-year-old Vicki Thoms, tried to intervene but was struck in the face by one of the attackers. Castro residents were disgusted by such behavior.

Here at My Castro San Francisco we do not enjoy being the bearer of bad news, however here is the latest with DOMA. King and Spalding, the law firm tapped to represent House Republicans' defense of the Defense of Marriage Act, announced Monday that it is withdrawing from the case. Castro residents are blunted by yet another setback.

In a statement released this morning via a firm spokesman, King and Spalding Chairman Robert D. Hays, Jr. said:

"Today the firm filed a motion to withdraw from its engagement to represent the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group of the House of Representatives on the constitutional issues regarding Section III of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act.

My Castro San Francisco as well as our Castro district community is outraged. A coalition of groups in Maryland will rally Monday evening to denounce the violent attack against a transgender woman at a McDonald's in Baltimore County that was captured on video last week. Castro San Francisco are in a state of shock after watching the brutal video.

According to a news release, Trans-United, Trans Maryland, Baltimore County for Equality, the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Baltimore, and others will gather at 7 p.m. outside the McDonald's in Rosedale where Chrissy Lee Polis, 22, was attacked last Monday. All of here at My Castro San Francisco wish that we could be there to support the support the rally but we hope that our support is heard all the way from the west coast.

Last week My Castro San Francisco shared the intriguing story from the generally unsupportive rap community. However, a breath of fresh air is coming from perhaps the unlikeliest of allies for the Castro San Francisco. Rapper Lil B said he is receiving death threats because of his decision to title his next album I’m Gay.

MTV News reports on the death threats that fans have sent using social media. The rapper announced the new album name from the stage at the Coachella festival in California earlier this month. There was some skepticism regarding the sincerity from Lil B however nobody can doubt his courage.

Castro San Francisco residents are familiar with gay supporters in the music business. With the likes of Lady Gaga and Britney Spears, however support from the Rap world has been less than comforting. Rapper Lil B, who is straight, said he planned to make an album called "I'm Gay" in order to make a point about tolerance. Those that live in the Castro District wonder point could Lil B make?

Rapper Lil B, announced he would call his next album, "I'm Gay," in order to show to make a point about tolerance and that "words don't mean s**t." Does this s**t resonate with us in gay San Francisco?

Calling his move the "most controversial thing in hip-hop," the rapper made the announcement from the stage Saturday at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, according to Ace Showbiz.

Here is the latest news regarding DOMA for all of us in the Castro San Francisco. UPDATE: House Republicans have recruited former Solicitor General Paul Clement to represent the government in federal cases challenging the Defense of Marriage Act. Is this a good choice? Local Castro San Francisco members are undecided.

House attorneys are expected to file a motion to intervene in Windsor v. United States of America in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Edie Windsor sued after the federal government refused to recognize her marriage to Thea Spyer, who died in 2009. As a result of DOMA, Windsor was forced to pay estate tax — a six-figure bill she would have been exempt from where her marriage recognized. All of us at My Castro San Francisco are just disgusted at this injustice.

Here is an interesting story for My Castro San Francisco readers. A sailor who was notified he would be discharged under "don't ask, don't tell" for falling asleep in the same bed as his colleague will be able to keep his post.

Petty Officer Second Class Stephen Jones, stationed at the Naval Nuclear Power Training Command in Charleston, S.C., was notified that the Navy had decided to rescind his discharge orders.

According to earlier reports, he fell asleep in the same bed as Petty Officer Bryan McGee after the two spent the evening watching television. Jones's roommate walked in to find them lying on the bed, though both Jones and McGee contend that they were both clothed and that they did not engage in any sexual conduct.